Canyon Lake Resort

My boyfriend and I stayed at one of their «rustic» cabins, and I’m sad to say I wish I had just paid an extra $ 30 and stayed at any of the chain hotels in town. This cabin was so outdated and old that our bedsheets had holes in them from being worn so thin. The shower didn’t drain, meaning there was old hair and sediment sitting on top of the drain when I first stepped in. Though the room was «non-​smoking», it absolutely reeked of cigarette smoke to where I couldn’t sleep through the night and I woke up with a sore throat. If you’re looking for a place to stay on your way to Mt. Rushmore, just drive right into the Mt. Rushmore town; there are many budget-​friendly hotels there that are a couple minutes from the entrance. I hate to leave a bad review but this experience warranted a fair warning to fellow Unilocalers.

This place is awesome! The staff are always friendly the rooms are very clean.
Staying here next to the lake with the ducks and geese and the fish is exhilarating. You will never be disappointed tell them Bob sent you! I stay here all the time.

My family and I have attended or catered several events here throughout the years, and it is always an enjoyable experience. Being right on the beautiful lake on the outskirts of Rapid City definitely boosts this place’s props.
The staff is always friendly, the food is good and it’s a really nice place to cater. I believe they only take catered events now, no menu to order off, but the catered food is good. I have never stayed in the cabins or motel they have on property but I’m sure it would be an excellently rustic experience.

Wow, I loved Canyon Lake Chophouse! I had my wedding there on June 26^th. Carmen was amazing to work with the whole way through. She functioned as my pseudo wedding planner, and answered numerous questions I had about all of the details for the reception. I sent her many emails, and she always responded promptly. The staff there on the day of couldn’t have been nicer! It rained on my wedding and the servers got wet taking everything out to my wedding tent (which was a few feet away). I noticed another server also twisted her ankle at some point during the night. All this happened without ONE complaint from them. We stayed until midnight, and even though there weren’t many people left by then, the bartenders never complained or acted like we were were overstaying our welcome. No one ever said to us, «it’s getting late, maybe you should leave.» They were great the whole way through! What I loved the most was that Carmen kept moving all of my flower arrangements throughout the reception to whatever space we were in at the time. She moved my ceremony flowers to the tent and reception, and moved the bouquets that weren’t in use to the foyer. The place looked so much more decorated and elegant because of this, and it was a money-​saver as well. It was so funny to turn around an hour later, and the room looked different because the flowers were moved again. It was great! I had an outdoor tent and the fire pit wound up being in the way, so they covered it with a table and tablecloth and put my wedding cake on it! Genius! It covered up the fire pit, and just looked like a white column with rocks around the bottom of it. The food was amazing! Carmen even saved us a plate of appetizers from the cocktail hour, because we had been outside taking pictures. I only had two minor complaints. 1.) Someone had put real candles in the chandeliers near the ceremony alter. My groom (and the officiant) accidentally bumped into it and spilled wax all over his tux, and it was there for the rest of the night. However, I don’t know if that was their fault or the decorator. 2.) They occasionally took appetizers or champagne glasses before people were finished. However, they gave the groom and I two free drinks at dinner, so it was all good! This place is highly, highly recommended from me! I looked into many outdoor wedding sites, and this was hands-​down the best. It has a beautiful location, and the friendliest staff! AAA+